I don’t know about you but I take my mouth for granted. I will be honest and say that I don’t brush my teeth, use mouthwash or floss nearly as well as I should in order to better protect my pearly whites. Although I use my teeth and mouth everyday it just isn’t something that I give a lot of thought to compared to other areas of health such as exercising and eating well. That being said, I never assume that I will struggle with poor oral health or get an infection of some sort. However, something that is very real and something we all should be keeping in the back of our mind is avoiding gum disease.

I’m sure you want to know how you can avoid gum disease. There are two main areas that you should focus on when trying to prevent gum disease. The first area is practicing good dental habits. This of course seems rather obvious. You should always brush your teeth twice a day, in the morning and the evening. I’m sure most of us could do a little bit better about that. We might need to make sure we are brushing twice, or we might need to increase the time it takes us to brush our teeth just a little bit. It is important to use fluoride toothpaste when available. Remember that along with brushing your teeth, you also want to brush your tongue. A great thing to have for getting more out of brushing your teeth is an electric toothbrush. These have heads that that rotate or oscillate which gives an even cleaner feeling. Another great tip to help you practice good dental habits is to regular use mouthwash. This can further help to clean your teeth, tongue, and gums. You will also want to floss once a day to help remove food and plaque between your teeth that can affect the gums over time. It is also to have regular checkups with your dentist. Hopefully you have a dentist that you are already visiting regularly, but if you need a recommendation check out www.genesisdental.net. They are concerned with giving their patients excellent dental care in a friendly and comfortable environment. They also strive to help you to be able to afford the dental work that you need since we all know it can get pricey at times.

The second area to focus on when trying to prevent gum disease is making wise food choices. Good nutrition is vital for a multitude of reasons including preventing gum disease. That being said make sure to eat a diet that includes whole grains, vegetables, fruits, that is low in fat, and low in sodium. Some particular foods that are good for clearing your mouth of harmful things and protecting against plaque include: Mozzarella cheese, peanuts, yogurt and milk. I found this very interesting and something that I didn’t know before. As you probably know you want to avoid foods that have a lot of sugar because it tends to stick and remain on the teeth. Taffy and raisins are two foods you should eat in moderation. Lastly you want to avoid bedtime snacks so that the food residue doesn’t remain on your teeth all night while you sleep. Take one or all of these tips into consideration to better help you avoid gum disease.